I wanted to share with you a little about how I like to incorporate farmhouse style in my own home using inexpensive finds from the thrift store. If you’d like to watch the live video with HomeTalk via Facebook regarding this very post, here’s the direct link!

I’m going to show you how to use your creativity and think outside the box when it comes to decorating your home using thrift-store finds! Here are 3 ideas to get you started!

1. Old Books

The book covers in the image below definitely don’t fit “style-wise” in our home, but the pages have the perfect patina to them. I found these old books for 25 cents each at a local thrift store. The solution? Tear the bindings off!

All you have to do is carefully remove the covers to reveal a beautiful, farmhouse accessory for your home!

Stack a few of them together, and tie some pretty ribbon or jute around the outside.

2. An Old Frame into a Rustic Chalkboard

There are a gazillion old and outdated frames at thrift stores! And with a little chalkboard paint, you can transform them from blah to wow in minutes! Click here for the full tutorial. I’ve also made a moss-covered chalkboard, and it was so much fun to create! For that tutorial, click here.

3. Old Dishes

That’s another item thrift stores are brimming with — old containers, such as vintage silver creamers, white enamelware, or beautiful, floral bowls!

To upcycle these containers into pretty succulent holders, here’s what you’ll need:

bag of moss

bag of white beans

faux succulents

containers

First, prep your container by cleaning it thoroughly. Next, fill your bowl with beans. Then, place the moss on top, covering the beans. Lastly, insert your succulents. I got mine at the dollar store, and I love them!

Here’s a quick recap: 1. Find old books with ugly covers. Tear the bindings off and stack these new-to-you books to reveal updated shelf decor. 2. Find an old frame, and create a rustic chalkboard! 3. Upcycle an old container into a succulent planter. So, those are just a few ideas to help get you started on incorporating upcycled, farmhouse-style decor from the thrift store in your home!

Here are a few more ideas of diy, thrifted decor that have been upcycled into farmhouse-styled beauties:

I hope you’ve been inspired to find some thrifted treasures! If so, what are you going to be on the hunt for? I’d love to hear about it! Comment below, or stop by and say hey on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, HomeTalk and Facebook. It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers!

Let’s get started! Our rockers have needed a makeover for quite some time now. They’ve sat out in the elements and taken a beating for the past few years, and so it was definitely time for a fresh, bright-white coat of paint! So when I heard about the Americana Decor Outdoor Living paint and the protective layer that it would provide, I knew I had to give this awesome paint a try!

Here’s some info about this fabulous paint, per DecoArt — “Enhance your outdoor decor with this durable, eggshell-finish acrylic. No sealer required. Excellent resistance to water, scuffs, and fading. Ideal for wood, concrete, masonry, terra cotta, metal, most plastics, and more.” Doesn’t that sound fantastic? I think this type of paint is perfect for giving my rockers new life!

Here’s what our tired rockers used to look like….Oh, and please don’t look at the scary mess that’s surrounding these rockers. It’s a little embarrassing.

And when I say our rockers have taken a beating, I mean, they’ve taken a serious beating! Here in Georgia, the elements can sometimes be extreme — severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail (occasionally), sometimes cold weather and definitely super-hot weather! 😉 It’s all over the board, but those are some of the many things I love about the South! And our crazy weather is exactly why I wanted to try this paint!

When prepping for this project, be sure to shake the paint tub really well, or else, it’ll be watery, and it won’t go on very evenly. I used a really good brush and applied 2 coats to each rocker. The paint dried super-quickly! And don’t forget…in between each coat, be sure to sand your rockers to give them a more even finish.

I spent a few hours painting these beauties, and I’m sooo happy I gave our rockers new life! So, here’s the after…The paint is a beautiful, bright white, and what a gorgeous eggshell finish!

So, if you’d like to check out this new paint, head to HobbyLobby.com to get more details. So, what do you think of this project? Don’t you feel the need to head outside and look for something to refinish using this paint? You’ll love how easy it is to apply!

Do you have any questions about my experience with this specific paint? I’d LOVE to hear about it! Comment below, or stop by Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram….It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers! Have a great day!

[Sidenote: This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure here.]

Recently, I’ve done a few live videos with HomeTalk, so I thought I’d go ahead and compile them into one big post and make a one-stop shop for them….My sweet hubby has been the amazing videographer, and I’m so thankful he’s been able to join me for every live on HomeTalk! I feel like we make a pretty awesome team. 😉

By the way, if you’ve never heard of HomeTalk.com, you’ve got to check them out! They’re a HUGE online community that discusses all things home and garden.

My very first live video with HT was this past October of 2016. 😉 To date, I’ve done live videos for every season except summer! So you know what that means….I need to schedule a summer-styled, live-video “date” with HT soon, right?! 😉 I definitely think so!

In this video, I shared with you all about styling a gorgeous Christmas mantel. I also used a very helpful item for my DIY projects and shared all about it as I showed my viewers how to make glitter houses. 😉 You can also read my blog post for these sparkly accessories!

Oh, this video was a blast! I showed you how to make a variety of garlands on a shoestring budget! You’ll be amazed (or at least I hope you will be!) at how inexpensive they are to make, and yet these beautiful pieces look like they came straight from a high-end home decor store! Plus, when prepping for this video, I wanted to include both neutral AND colorful styles. You can read all about these garlands by clicking here.

Below is the “before” picture…I found these pots at various thrift stores and the dollar store, and then some were found brand new at Home Depot. Of course, I grabbed a few of these pots from my back porch as well. You definitely can use the ones you already have! I also wrote a detailed blog post on this topic as well….You can read it here — “Easy Whitewashed, Stenciled and Faux-Concrete DIY Pots.”

In this video, I shared so, so, SO many DIY projects for creating a Spring tablescape and mantel. I’m all about pinching pennies and making the decor myself, as long as it looks beautiful! I shared with my viewers how to make these beautiful chargers, the vibrant-green moss runner, the ruffled runner, and lots of other beautiful decor. You can also read all about our Spring home by clicking on these 2 links: our DIY, Natural Spring Tablescape and our Natural and Rustic DIY Spring Mantel.

In this video, I shared with you all sorts of DIY Easter eggs, such as eggs with stickers, faux-concrete eggs, watercolor eggs, baby’s breath eggs, etc. I also did a blog post for this video, and you can read all about that by clicking on this title — DIY Easter Eggs.

Well, that’s it at the moment. Were you able to watch any of these lives? If so, which one is your favorite? I’d love to hear all about it! Comment below, or stop by and say hey on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers!

Also, I want to thank you all for your kindness and sweet encouragement as I share with y’all about our home. I love getting to do this whole blog thing….It’s been a huge blessing, and y’all are definitely a big part of that! So I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Update: Since publishing this post a couple of months ago, I’ve done two more lives with my hubby, and here are the links if you’d like to watch them!

Hey friends! Thanks for stopping by today! Before we begin, I wanted to remind you to follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, HomeTalk and Facebook, so you don’t miss another post! Also, if you missed my post on our Spring tablescape, click here for lots of diy tutorials and thrifty inspiration!

Today, I’d like to share with you how I styled our mantel for Spring! It was so much fun to gather my accessories and decorate our mantel for this lovely season! Also, I really am so happy to tell you that this mantel of ours doesn’t have anything that costs an arm and a leg! In fact, the new items that you’ll see were all half off at my local crafts store! Score! If you’d like to see how I styled this mantel in a live video, click this link here. (You’ll also learn how to style a beautiful and DIY, Spring tablescape!)

I hope you enjoyed our “home tour” for Spring…more specifically, our natural and rustic Spring mantel! Again, if you missed the live video where I showed you how I styled our mantel and table for Spring, click here! How are you planning to decorate for Spring? Will you be making anything as part of your decor? I’d LOVE to hear about it! Comment below, or stop by Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram…It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers!

Hey friends! Thanks for stopping by today! Before we begin, I wanted to remind you to follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, HomeTalk and Facebook, so you don’t miss another post! Also, if you missed our Spring mantel, click here for lots of diy tips and farmhouse goodness!

I love this time of year…the cool breeze that gently moves through our open doors/windows, the sound of nature that seems to sing a little louder and the days that go a little longer. We can leave the doors open without worrying that we’ll let out heat or a/c. New birth appears — in the colorful flowers, the fresh, green grass and the trees that are all blooming. This new birth also reminds me of Easter, where we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior! Did I mention that I love Spring??!! 😉

And decorating our table for this beautiful season was so much fun. When I was trying to decide how I wanted to decorate our home this year, I knew I really wanted to have that natural, rustic feel with soft greenery, so I’m really excited to share with you how this tablescape turned out! I didn’t spend over $10 for any one item, and half of this decor is diy! I shopped my house for the other essentials. Actually, most of you probably already have these items in your own home as well! And if you missed our live video tutorial on how I styled our table and mantel for Spring, please click this link here to watch the replay. 😉

Let’s start with the first layer…the table runners. I had some thin, white fabric sitting around, so all I did to make this runner was tear a 2-foot strip of fabric lengthwise. Then, I hot-glued 4 layers of ruffles to this runner on either end. Very easy!

Now that my runners were complete, it was time to shop my house for the accessories. Again, I was going for that natural, rustic look, so when it came to gathering accessories, I kept my mind on what was a “natural” accessory: antlers, greenery, white beans (I’ll get to that later), flowers, birch, and nests. And then of course, you want to add a variety of textures: fabrics, wood, moss and metals.

What do you think about these faux-greenery chargers? They’re so easy to make, and I love how natural they look! Click here for that post. You’ll love making them, and they were only $5 each! Score!

Also, have you noticed those white, fabric napkins? Well, they’re actually feedsack dish towels, and they’re huge and soft! You can find a four-pack at Target or Walmart for under $5….Recently, I found a 10-pack at Walmart for under $8! You definitely need to have at least one set in your home! 😉 Also, the white plates are a thrift-store purchase that were 25 cents each.

When setting up your centerpiece, be sure to add a variation in height and texture. Also, don’t forget that you want to be able to see your family’s or guests’ faces, so don’t make your decor too tall, right? 😉

When shopping my house, I found an old, vintage box and turned it upside down to add a “stage” for my old, concrete pots. The birch wood slice is from my sweet mama, and the glass cloche is a staple that I got from PB Outlet. The variety of gold candleholders are from thrift stores, and I haven’t paid more than $1 for any of them! The faux, pink peony is from a local crafts’ store that I got half-off.

I love our gold flatware! You can dress them up or down, and they pair really well with our gold candleholders!

I love our dining table and cane-chairs set! I found these beauties at Goodwill a couple of years ago. Back then, they were a tired and outdated dining set, but with a little tlc, it’s gorgeous and adds the perfect farmhouse touch! Click here to see some before and after shots, as well as mistakes I made during this project. 😉

Thanks so much for stopping by! Again, if you’d like to see the replay on how I styled our table and mantel, please click this link here. 😉 I hope you found some inspiration for your Spring table! What did you like best? How are you planning to incorporate Spring into your home? I’d LOVE to hear about it! Comment below, or stop by Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram…It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers!

Recently, my son did a school project in which he used a tri-fold poster board for his presentation. Because he only needed half of the board, the rest was discarded, and I knew exactly what to do with that remnant piece! Alas, the birth of this moss runner idea was born! 😉

First, cut your cardboard to the size you’d like it to be. Next, because the spray adhesive has some fumes, be sure to do this project outside. Or if you have a portable, pop-up tent (as seen in this blog post), then turn on some fans and do it inside. 😉

Now, all you have to do is spray your cardboard, small sections at a time. After each spray, immediately push down your moss, tearing the strands apart as you pull them out of the bag. 😉

Completely cover your board, so that no sides show.

Now you’re done! See?! That was soooo easy, wasn’t it?! I love projects like this!

If you’d like to see the rest of our tablescape all decked out for Spring, be sure to stop by tomorrow (March 9th). I’m planning to post TWO posts….one for our Spring tablescape, and one for our Spring mantel! Woot woot! And don’t forget to set your reminders to watch these exact tutorials tomorrow at 1:00 est on HomeTalk’s Facebook page! Can’t wait to say hey to you during the live video!

Also, I hope you were inspired to look for creative ways to decorate your home for Spring! What are your ideas? I’d LOVE to hear about them! Comment below, or stop by and say hey on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, HomeTalk and Facebook. It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers!

Let’s get started! But I’m warning you…these steps are so quick and easy, you might totally miss these instructions all together. So pay attention! 😉

First, cut 2 1-foot strips of twine per plate (for tying).

With the natural fold of the greenery from the packaging, take your scissors and cut in the middle of the greenery. (It’s very easy to cut!)

Now, form a circle with the greenery by bringing its ends together. Be sure to overlap the ends, so there’s no bare spot when the plate rests on top.

Next, tie some twine around the ends of the greenery to hold it in place. You might need to tie each strip in a couple of spots, so that it doesn’t loosen and come out of a “circle.”

Okay! That’s it! Now here’s the fun part….You get to rest your beautiful plate on top and just look at the simple beauty of your diy decor! 😉

To see the rest of our tablescape all decorated for Spring, I did a Facebook Live and showed the viewers how to make these chargers and a few other fun decor items! (Click here for the link.) AND if you’d like to see how I made this fun, mossy table runner, please click here. 😉

Also, I hope you’ve been inspired to make some Spring decor for your own home! What are you wanting to do to make your table beautiful for this gorgeous season? 😉 I’d love to hear all about it! Comment below, or stop by Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram…It makes my day to hear from my sweet readers!

This project is so easy and quick. You’ll love how the pots look after you’re finished with them! First, squirt some white paint onto your paper plate. Next, after dabbing your foam brush into the white paint, swipe the brush horizontally across your pot. Immediately after, take your slightly dampened and wadded up paper towel, and smear the paint vertically and horizontally on your pot. Keep doing this method until you’ve completely covered your pot.

Approach this pot as your work of art, but don’t take it seriously at all. And don’t do it perfectly either, because then it won’t look like it’s aged naturally…and that’s the look we DO want…a pot with the perfect patina. (Did you catch that? Haha. Hey. It’s almost midnight, and I’m starting to fall asleep as I finish up this post, so no judging.) 😉

Also, depending on what you place inside your pot, be sure to whitewash the inside of your pot, maybe just a couple of inches down from the top, so that it looks uniform with the outside of your pot. 😉

Here’s how it’ll look during your “whitewashing”…

(Please see the pics in project #2 for the end result of these gorgeous pots!)

I love these whitewashed pots, because they’re great for any season, and they’re so beautiful! Pop in some fake greenery from Ikea or your local crafts store, or use them as napkin or flatware holders at your next dinner party. Or you could even whitewash a trio of pots and plant some fresh herbs in each. The possibilities are endless!

Project #2: Stenciled Pots

I took the whitewashed pots one step further by using a fun, antique-styled stencil to give it that old-world look. And I love it!

What you’ll need:

“French Elements” stencil (I used the “Andy Skinner” line by DecoArt.)

scissors

tape

sand paper

Small container of the chalky finish paint in “Carbon” (Americana Decor line by DecoArt)

foam brush

terra cotta pot

latex gloves (optional)

After following the above steps to give my pot that whitewashed effect, I chose the stencil I wanted, which in this case was the “1812” stencil from the pack above. Then, I cut around it and gently taped the sides to the pot.

Using the black, chalky paint and the foam brush, I gently dabbed the paint all over the stencil.

And then I carefully removed the stencil from the pot. Now to me, this looks too perfect. It needs to be scruffed up a bit. Don’t you agree?

So after letting the black paint dry COMPLETELY, I gently sanded it to make it look like this…

Or here’s another idea for your whitewashed pots (or any of these pots, for that matter)….

Just add some white beans (from the grocery store) as filler, insert a succulent stem (this one’s from the dollar store), and voila! A gorgeous French-looking, antiqued pot! 😉

Project #3: Faux Concrete Pots

Don’t you love the look of concrete, yet hate the heaviness of them? Also, I’m sure most of us have pots that are sitting stacked up on our back porch or in our garage somewhere, so why not grab a couple and try your hand at these? They’re so much fun and trendy! Plus, they make great gifts!

What you’ll need:

Chalky finish paints in these 3 colors: Everlasting, Carbon and Yesteryear (all from the Americana Decor line by DecoArt)

3 foam brushes

paper towels

paper plate

terra cotta pot

latex gloves (optional)

Prep: Squirt about a quarter size of each paint color onto your paper plate, and rest each foam brush at each paint color. Also, have your paper towel dampened and ready to go. And lastly, fill your paper cup to about a half cup or more.

With your pot in one hand and your foam brush in the other hand, dab your brush into the black paint. And doing this project in segments, make horizontal strokes with your brush. Immediately after, take your dampened and wadded up paper towel and rub it on your pot, smearing the paint and giving it that rustic look. Use this same method until you’ve completely gone around your pot. It should look a little something like this…

In other words, for each color, don’t cover the pot completely. You want it to look like an antique, concrete pot. 😉

Now that you’ve finished step 1 with the black paint (or “carbon”), it’s time for step 2, which is the gray paint (or “yesteryear”). Follow the same instructions that I gave you previously for the black paint.

Now it’s time for step 3…the white paint (or “everlasting”). Again, follow the same technique that you’ve used for steps 1 and 2.

Here’s how that type of finish looks now…

And here’s how the “whitewash” and the “faux concrete” finishes look in the pic below…

Ohhh…I just love them so! The pot on the right is actually started out as a maroon, PLASTIC pot that I bought at our local dollar store, just to show you how the concrete finish looks on different materials.

I also picked up an old, metal pot at a thrift store that had butterflies painted onto it, which wasn’t my style at all, so I painted over the pot, using the faux concrete technique. I love how it turned out!

Here’s the before…

And here’s how it looks now…

I love how it rests on our dish-towel bar in the kitchen. 😉

See how rustic they look? Just gorgeous! And I love it that none of these pots are the same. There’s so much variation, that you don’t have to worry about being perfect with this technique. Also, it’s so great to know that this technique works on metal, terra cotta and plastic! Woohoo!

So what do you think about these pots? Which one’s your favorite? I loved making them, and I know you will too! If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below, or email me at TheRusticBoxwood@gmail.com. Again, here’s the link to my live video tutorial, and I think watching the step-by-step will help you as you learn these techniques! Or if you just want to stop by and say hey on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, HomeTalk and Facebook….It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers!!

Giveaway is now closed. A huge and hearty thanks to all who entered! Click this link to find out the winner! Please know that I appreciate each and everyone of you…for your kind words and loving support. It’s blessed my heart in more ways than you’ll ever know!! xoxo

******************************************

Hello friends, and thanks for stopping by today! Before I begin, I wanted to remind you to follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, HomeTalk and Facebook, so that you don’t miss another post! 😉

******************************************

I have some very exciting news! Currently, our home is in one of my all-time favorite magazines…American Farmhouse Style!! I’m thrilled to share with you that AFS chose to put our home on the FRONT COVER, and they gave us a 12-page spread! So crazy, and it’s on newsstands now!

I’m seriously honored and humbled that one of my favorite magazines shared our home! So, to the editors of AFS, if you’re reading this post, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! xoxo

So, to celebrate this exciting news, I’m giving away this magazine, plus some of my other favorite goodies, to one lucky winner! Entering is easy, and all you have to do is head to my Facebook page for all the details! (Please click this link to enter.)

Here are the fun prizes you’ll win: some beautiful framed art, a set of flour-sack napkins, a rustic chalkboard, and a signed copy of the latest American Farmhouse Style magazine!

Thanks to all of you for your sweet encouragement and support as I continue on this adventurous blogging journey! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at TheRusticBoxwood@gmail.com, or comment below, and I’ll get back with you as soon as I can! Have an awesome day!

Hey y’all, and thanks so much for stopping by! Today, I’m going to share with you all about a variety of garlands, and they’re all under $5!! But before we begin, I wanted to remind you to follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, HomeTalk and Facebook, so you don’t miss another post! Also, if you’d like to see the live video I did on HomeTalk’s Facebook page regarding these exact garlands, please click this direct link. I hope you enjoy them! There’s an explanation on how to make each garland! 😉

Decoupage (DecoArt) (I used the outdoor decoupage so that I can hang mine outside.)

small sponge brush

pretty scrap paper

hole punch

jute twine

So, I used my awesome self-healing cutting mat from Hayneedle (thanks so much, Hayneedle!!), but of course, if you don’t have a cutting mat, you can get creative and do it all by hand. Using a pencil, I measured my small arrows to be 2″ wide and my large arrows 4″ wide on the balsa wood. This type of wood is SUPER easy to cut! Then, I painted each small arrow with the black paint. I used one large piece of scrap paper, and using the decoupage, I painted a thin layer on each piece of large arrow and immediately placed them on the paper, ensuring that they’re lined up evenly. Afterwards, I spread a thin layer on top of the paper to add a protective layer of sealant. I let all the arrows dry over night, and then cut the arrows that are covered with paper the next morning. One important thing to note is that the arrows want to curl ever so slightly when you paint the mod podge on, so to help flatten them, I placed each arrow under something heavy to help straighten the wood (once they were dry, of course). 😉 Once you’ve cut the paper around the arrow edges, punch holes through the wood and then slide some twine through the holes for hanging.

Garland #2: Floral Garland

Supplies

faux flowers from Dollar Tree

jute twine

floral wire

First, hot glue some twine around and around…and around…your floral wire to make it look like a brown stem and to add a sort of grip for the flowers to stick to. Pop flowers off the stems and then hot glue them to the twine/floral wire. Continue this process until you’ve reached the length you’d like to have.

The floral one in the pic below is at the top, and the fabric garland (which you’ll learn how to make next) is underneath.

First, tear about 1″ strips of your fabric. Then, fold each strip in half, and place under string. Bring ends of fabric up and over the string and through the fabric hole at the top. Pull tight and slide each strip closely together to add fullness to your garland.

Garland #4: Wrapping Paper Garland

Supplies

roll of wrapping paper

balsa wood

pretty trim

hot glue gun

scissors

DecoArt matte decoupage

First, measure and cut the wood to form your preferred size of each pennant. Next, paint mod podge onto each strip of wood. Immediately place the glued side of the wood on the inside of your paper. Then, brush a thin layer of mod podge over the outside of your paper, which will act as a sealant. Lastly, hot glue a coordinating trim to the top of your pennants to form a beautiful garland!

Garland #5: Tissue Paper Garland

Supplies

pretty tissue paper (I got a set of 8 sheets at the dollar tree.)

coordinating color of yarn

hot glue gun

Lay out your tissue paper in the order you’d like it to hang. If you don’t have time to iron the creases (like me!), use those folded edges to your advantage! Fold the tissue paper along those edges to form your pennants, and then lightly hot glue the inside of each one to the yarn. SO easy! And if you’d like to take an additional step, make some yarn tassels to go in between each pennant! (You’ll learn how to make them in my live video.)

I hope you’ve gained some inspiration for making your own garlands! These all were under $5 for me….Some were just pennies! Please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at TheRusticBoxwood@gmail.com if you have any questions, or you can comment below. Also, stop by and say hey on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, HomeTalk and Facebook. It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers! Have a wonderful day!